Some opponents of a downtown Overland Park mural project may have decried its bold, bright colors and multiracial themes as contrary to the community’s history.
But the city Planning Commission signaled Monday that it was time to embrace new traditions.
Planning commissioners paved the way for the city’s first major multi-mural project when they approved zoning exemptions for the outside of four buildings.
“I see a lot of rejuvenation with downtown Overland Park, which is great, and I think this adds to that,” commissioner Kip Strauss said. “It creates its own new history.”
The murals, part of a downtown art project that also includes eight mosaic benches and a sculpture, still need approval by the City Council next week. Planning commissioners didn’t need to consider the content of the proposed artwork when they voted 10-1 to permit zoning exemptions for murals that don’t conform to city code.
But they allowed nearly a dozen residents to speak on the project. Some critics have bashed the vibrant colors and “cartoonish” style of some of the murals, the prominent depiction of Muslim women in one mural and the city’s departure from past architectural standards. But commissioners heard from several speakers who offered a different perspective.
“It reminds of the diversity reflected in our community in this very moment,” resident Jay McNell said.
“I hear the word ‘deviation’ like it’s a bad thing,” said Anna White, a Kansas City, Kansas, resident who grew up in Leawood. “Speaking for my generation we are looking for areas that are progressive. We are looking for areas that are open to change.”
(Read more: KC Star Local News)